It surprises me greatly that these basic components of correspondence are missing from NWP; is there a good reason? I know there's an option to have a unique identifier, but that doesn't serve the function in correspondence.

The problem with the macros is that the dates they provide are static. This makes them unsuited for template docs such as letter stationery. IMO, The old Nisus Writer classic handled dates as autonumbers almost perfectly. I believe the user was presented with the option to convert the dates to static numbers upon save, or more likely that the dates, once opened didn't update unless you did so manually.

I see what you mean. But let's clarify exactly what we want. I can remember us workign through thsi years ago on the Dartmouth list or perhaps one of the other forums.

1. We want dates that are static. You enter them and ther it is, unalterable.

2. We want dates that will be entered on cue when a template is opened to a new document, but will remain static after that, so that the date doesn't change every time you open that particular document again.

3. We want an auto-entering file name, date and time stamp to go at the foot or top of every document if we set that as part of the template, something, which would remain fixed thereafter.

4. Or do we want dates that change whenever you open a document, so that regardless of when the document was originated, last changed or whatever, when you open it you get a new date. (Such a date type was around somewhere once, I can't remember whether it was in NW or something else.)

For me, I am fine with 1. using the macro, but 2. and 3. would be useful (save a couple of keystrokes). 4. fills me with horror -- I can't imagine how it would be useful.

Cheers, Geoff

Geoffrey Heard, Business Writer & Publisher

"Type & Layout: Are you communicating or just making pretty shapes" -- Revealed! The secrets of how you can use type and layout to turbocharge your messages in print. See the book at http://www.worsleypress.com

Actually, all four would be useful in different contexts. We have #1 now. Personally, I can type the date just as fast as I remember that there is a macro and mouse up to the macros menu to find it. #2 would be great for stationery.

Even #4 would be useful any time you want a document to report when it was last opened or last modified (i.e., update on save). Web pages do this all the time. Or, let's say I have some class notes and I want to record when they were last modified so that I can tell in the printed copy how up-to-date they are. In cases like this, you would want #4.

You don't have to mouse to the macro menu, you can assign keyboard shortcuts to macros through Fil > Preferences > Menu Keys > Macros.

Use the modifiers you want (command [apple/splat] will always be one, but you can add to that if you wish with one or more of option, control and shift) all held down together and up to three alpha/number keys typed in quick sequence.

The dialog will warn you if you are impinging on something that has already been set.

With up to three keys, of course, you can do something mnemonic (bear in mind, though, that you will be typing the alpha/numeric keys one-handed so you will waqnt to use keys that are close together.

I never add a time reading without the date, so I was able to use "D" as the first letter in my principal date macro and and "T" as the first letter in my principal date:time macro.

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On the question of keeping tag of when a file was last opened, the Finder does that, of course. But if you were doing something like you describe, you when would you want the date action to happen? I would suggest, when you close or save the file. Even better, would be something that told you when you last added something, i.e. automatic dating of change.

Cheers, Geoff

Geoffrey Heard, Business Writer & Publisher

"Type & Layout: Are you communicating or just making pretty shapes" -- Revealed! The secrets of how you can use type and layout to turbocharge your messages in print. See the book at http://www.worsleypress.com

greenmorpher wrote:...if you were doing something like you describe, you when would you want the date action to happen? I would suggest, when you close or save the file. Even better, would be something that told you when you last added something, i.e. automatic dating of change.

I believe that NisusWriter classic had the option to update on save (maybe as a checkbox in the save dialog?). that would be my preference.